Richard Donner’s career spanned not just eras but genres. And he had a classic in every one of them.
It’s hard to think of another director who was so versatile and so successful at the box office across genres. He helmed a massive buddy action franchise, directed a chilling horror classic, launched the superhero genre onscreen with the first — and greatest — Superman film, pulled off heartfelt comedy with giants like Richard Pryor and Jackie Gleason, created an absolute classic kids’ film and threw in a great Christmas movie to boot.
He worked with A-list talents as diverse as Steven Spielberg, Marlon Brando, Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone, Julianna Moore, Danny Glover, Bill Murray, Charles Bronson, Sammy Davis Jr., Mary Tyler Moore, Gregory Peck, Gene Hackman and Lee Remick and, judging from the outpouring of tributes, was beloved by a great many of them.
Click through the photos above to get a sense of the movie legacy Donner leaves behind.
